Bamboo in Bali
Bamboo is included as one of the grass family plant and known as the giant grass in the
world. Bamboo plants growing well in tropical country such as in Indonesia we
have a lot of bamboo species and around 35 of them could be found in Bali.
Bamboo plants have many varieties, from small variety with size
of 1 meter up to bigger size which can reach 30 meters high. Small
bamboo is usually planted for house gardening or in general as decoration on house yard or special places. In Bali you can find the
Bamboo plantation around Gianyar, Bangli and Karangasem areas and one area has been used
as the production and research of Bali bamboo that is Panglipuran village before the famous tourist destination of
Kintamani. Bamboo products can also be found in Bali with many types such as bamboo basket handicraft which can be found at
the village of Susut close to Panglipuran village, bamboo mat production at the village
of Angantaka near Sangeh tourist visit, rougher bamboo basket at the same village of Angantaka,
and bamboo furniture at Blega village near Gianyar city.
Most important use of bamboo in Bali is for the contruction and ritual. For contruction it might not
different from any part of the world, yet for a ceremony it could be said that Bali use bamboo intolerable
manner such as various altars, offering places, decorated pole called penjor, and various basketry flat or
container that can be seen when a Balinese hindu family having a ritual such as Ngaben or cremation
ceremony and any family ritual conducted both in the city and deep in the villages. Some bamboo has beautiful
color such as yellowish one is used to grow beautiful garden which size is not so high.
Suitable Land
As grass family, bamboo can grow well at following
land condition :
* Wet and volcanic soil
* Cool climate with temperature between 16 - 28 degrees Celsius.
* Flat or elevating land
* 500 - 1000 above sea level
In the past, Balinese planted bamboo to avoid land erosion. So if you
are doing the trip around Bali, you can see bamboo clump grows at the
margins of the rice field and along the border between one's land to others.
Bamboo Usage in Bali
Bamboo is a plant with many kind of usage, such as :
* Bamboo pole with the best quality is used for house construction
where you can find it at traditional villages or at some hotels with bungalow style.
* Example of Bamboo products are various woven baskets big or small, offering
boxes for temple ceremony, hand fan, lamp cap, tissue holder, capstock
(hangers), stopmaps, shopping bags, music instruments, candle holder and
many other especially in Bali where people are so creative with bamboo works.
* Young bamboo shoots can be cooked as vegetables and the taste is very delicious.
* Bamboo leaves can also be used for wrapping of Balinese cake, to look very natural and tasteful.
* During Galungan and Kuningan or temple rituals, Bamboo pole is used
for making penjor, a decorative ritual bamboo with coconut leaves, cakes, coconut fruit, and others.
* For constructing furniture (inside or outside houses). Bamboo
used for this furniture is the best quality the same as those
exported to other countires. Various furnitures can be found in Bali made of purely bamboo,
for example Sitting set, cupboard, special tables, beds, sun lounges,
various trays or containers, acessories, and others.
Ready to Harvest
Farmers usually cut down bamboos when the plants have reached the age
of 5 or more years. For making thin ribbon likes strips for weaving is usually taken from
the young one, less then 4 years old. The age more then 5 years usually
used for building materials and house furniture. In warm country, the
house furniture made from bamboo with the best quality can stay more then
10 years. Compared to wooden furniture, bamboo is considered good product with affordable cost.
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Written by I Made Wirajaya
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